Corpse-dressing table



(No Model.)

' G. GREEN.

CORPSE DRESSING TABLE.

No. 401,654. Patented Apr. 16,1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CASPER GREEN, OF DUBLIN, INDIANA.

CORPSE-DRESSING TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,554, dated April 16, 1889.

Application filed July 28, 1883- Serial No. 281,284- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CASPER GREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dublin, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful I111- provements in Corpse-Dressing Tables, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to facilitate the dressing and putting on of the necessary apparel of a corpse, as hereinafter described, with much less labor and danger to those doing the work than has heretofore been met with.

Instead of the usual way of dressing a corpse by turning it over and twisting it around and setting it up, which is attended with very hard labor and in some cases in- -jures and disfigures the corpse in various ways, I place the corpse on my improved device, which obviates the raising, turning over, or disturbing of the corpse in any manner while it is being dressed, thus obviating all tendency, in the case of mortification,to force obnoxious and poisonous gases out of the body to be inhaled by those doing the work, injuring their health and possibly producing disease.

My invention consists in a suitable table with the upper legs longer than the lower, to give a certain inclination, and having a movable portion capable of being lowered upon suitable supports on the table, the opening occupied by said movable portion being traversed lengthwise by two bars or their equivalent placed at an angle to each other with their upper meeting ends occupying a mortise in the head of the table, above which is placed the head-block, and their lower ends being received in two mortises at the lower end of the opening.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will now proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is a top plan View. Fig. II is a side view. Fig. III is an end view showing the movable portion lowered upon the hangers of the table; and Fig. IV is a crosssection on the line a: m, Fig. I, looking toward the foot of the table.

In the drawings, A is the table, consisting of side bars, 13, connected together at their upper ends by a cross-piece, O, and near their lower ends by a cross-piece, D, and it is provided with legs a and b, the legs a being longer than those b to give an inclination. Between the side bars, B, and below the lower crossbar, D, is secured a board, E.

The space between the side bars,B, and the cross-bars O and D is occupied by the movable board G or its equivalent, held in position by buttons H, pivoted to the board and engaging with the side bars and cross-pieces.

Pivoted at their upper ends to the side bars,

wise thereof and angularly with respect to each other, their upper ends closely approaching at the top of the board. Within these grooves are received angularly-placed bars I, whose upper meeting ends are received by a mortise J in the cross-piece O, and the lower ends of the bars I are received by mortises K in the cross-piece D. The lower ends of the bars I are retained in their mortises by a strap, M, fastened to the cross-piece D. The upper ends of the bars I are retained in their mor- 8o tises J by a block, N, secured to the upper cross-piece, C. This block is recessed on its upper side to receive the head of the corpse, while the body of the corpse is resting on the bars I. The bars I may be used without the grooves in the board G; but I prefer grooves for relieving the bars I of friction by the weight of the corpse, thus facilitating the withdrawing of the bars I from under the corpse at the head. The board G is provided 0 with handles 0, for lowering it onto the hangers F and for raising it up when desired. The corpse having been placed on the table and the board lowered, ready access may be had to the corpse for fitting the clothing, &c., there- 9 5 on, the vest and coat being put on the corpse and over the bars and buttoned, and when the corpse is dressed the board is raised up and secured by turn-buttons H, the two bars I being then withdrawn at the head, leaving me the corpse neatly dressed and resting upon the board G.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A table having an opening in its top, slide-bars extending lengthwise of said opening and supported by the table, and a lowering support below said bars, said bars being adapted to support a corpse when the lowering support is lowered, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

. 2. A table having an opening in its top,rcmovable bars extending across said opening and supported by the table, and a support below the bars for supporting a corpse when said bars are removed and adapted to be moved away from said bars, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Atable having an opening in its top, removable bars supported by the table across its opening, a head-rest above the upper ends of the bars and supported by the table, and a support below the bars for supporting a corpse independently of said bars and adapted to be moved away from said bars, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A table having an opening, bars I, extending lengthwise of said opening and angularly with respect to each other, and a recessed block above the meeting ends of said bars to afford arest for the head, as set forth.

5. A table having an opening, removable bars extending lengthwise of said opening, a movable portion occupying said opening, and fixed supports extending from side to side of and below the table, whereon the movable portion is adapted to be lowered, and means for supporting the movable portion in said opening, substantially as set forth.

6. A table having an opening, bars 1, extending lengthwise of said opening and supported by the table, and a board, G, fitting in said opening and provided with grooves for receiving said bars, said board being adapted to be lowered below the table, substantially as set forth.

7. A table having an opening, a movable board having buttons for supporting it in said opening by engagement with the sides of the table, corpse-supporting bars abovethe said board, and means for supporting the board when lowered, as set forth.

CASPER GREEN.

\Vitnesses:

JosrAn REYNOLDS, Amos D. SMITH. 

